Every 175 years the gas giants in our solar system align just so. In 1977 NASA seized upon this extraordinarily rare moment and launched two space probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, to explore the outer planets of our solar system. This unique expedition opened our eyes to vast area of knowledge and raised questions that we had never before considered. In 2012, Voyager 1 escaped the sun’s magnetic sphere and became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space. The Farthest, directed by Irishwoman Emer Reynolds, tells the story of its journey.

The Farthest is presented in standard documentary style, mixing talking heads, eyewitness interviews, archival footage and photographs. While more modern and innovative documentary film techniques have become more popular of late, this film sticks to the basics. This approach is to its benefit as it allows the storytelling to take centre stage. As the film progresses, the sheer magnitude of the task that the NASA scientists undertook in designing, building and managing the Voyager probes comes into sharp focus. It is an inspiring story of one of those rare instances of pure human endeavour. There was no alternative motive to the Voyager missions, simply the desire to conduct new science and to explore our little corner of the universe. The desire to seek answers to the childhood questions of why and how is what drove those working on the Voyager missions.

The musical score of The Farthest adds greatly to this feeling of inspiration. When combined with the film’s excellent visuals, they create a sense of wonder of almost of awe. An especially brilliant cinematic moment during the film is a montage of the pictures that Voyager 1 took every day on its long approach to Jupiter. Each picture was the best photo of the planet that had ever been taken, until the next picture was taken. Watching the largest planet in our solar system grow from a glowing red dot to the wild and turbulent gas giant that we all know today is breathtaking.

Another very enjoyable part of The Farthest is the sheer joy with which the NASA scientists speak about their involvement in the mission. This contagious excitement really drives home what it was like to be there in that unique moment in human history. Although the late great scientist Carl Sagan, who died in 1996, couldn’t be interviewed, his presence looms large over the film and indeed the Voyager missions themselves. Reynolds makes judicious use of archival footage to convey the gravity and sincerity with which Sagan believed in his work and the charisma which enabled him to persuade others to believe as well.

Perhaps the most famous part of the Voyager missions where the golden records attached to each probe. Each of these records contains a lot of information about Earth and humanity, most intriguing of which are greetings in 55 languages, a selection of natural sounds, and a 90 minute compilation of music from many cultures across the globe. These records were included almost as an afterthought and, according to one interviewee, had no scientific benefit. They were included on the extreme off-chance that if an alien civilisation would come into contact with one of the probes that they would know who created them.

More poignantly, if and when human civilisation dies out and our sun turns into a red giant, the voyager probes will continue on deep into space, carrying our collective voices into the cosmos.

While The Farthest is an impressively constructed film, there are occasional moments where the spell breaks. Most noticeably this occurs when physicist and science communicator Lawrence Krauss pops onto the screen, awkwardly jerking the film into modern-day pop science talk about dark matter and dark energy. It’s not bad, it’s just completely out-of-place and is one of a few missteps that the film makes.

Despite the occasional stumble, The Farthest is a must-see documentary in our age of increasing division. To show what can be achieved through the cooperative harnessing of the human desire to venture beyond the horizon.

An avid reader and fan of storytelling no matter the medium.
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